Sculpture of Winged Bull Destroyed by ISIS Is Recreated for London’s Fourth Plinth

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Sculpture of Winged Bull Destroyed by ISIS Is Recreated for London’s Fourth Plinth Photo The American artist Michael Rakowitz’s sculpture, “The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist,” in London. Credit Gautier DeBlonde LONDON — A reconstruction of an ancient statue of a winged bull destroyed by ISIS is the latest public art installation to sit on a sculpture platform here known as the Fourth Plinth, on Trafalgar Square.
The sculpture, by the American artist Michael Rakowitz, titled “The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist,” was unveiled on Tuesday. It depicts a re-creation of Lamassu, an Assyrian statue that stood in Iraq in the ancient city of Nineveh, on the outskirts of modern-day Mosul, until 2015 when the militant group destroyed it along with other irreplaceable works of ancient art.
Lamassu is a mythological creature known for its protective qualities. It has the head of a man and the body of a winged bull. Mr. Rakowitz’s re-creation is made of 10,500 recycled cans of date syrup; dates ..

Australian Court to Decide Whether Cardinal Pell Faces Trial

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Australian Court to Decide Whether Cardinal Pell Faces Trial Photo Cardinal George Pell, who has been accused of “historical sexual offenses,” outside the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last week. Credit Luis Ascui/EPA, via Shutterstock MELBOURNE, Australia — The contentious committal hearing of Cardinal George Pell, the Catholic Church’s third highest-ranking priest, adjourned on Thursday, as a magistrate prepared to decide whether the case will go to trial.
The cardinal, the Vatican’s de facto finance chief, has been charged with committing “historical sexual offenses.” He is the most senior member of the Catholic Church ever to face such allegations, and the outcome of the hearing will mark a significant moment for the Vatican as it grapples with the problem of clerical sex abuse.
The magistrate, Belinda Wallington, is expected to announce in mid-April whether the cardinal will be tried.
While Cardinal Pell has been accused of decades-old sexual offenses, further details of the charge..

Woman Becomes First South African Imprisoned for Racist Speech

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Woman Becomes First South African Imprisoned for Racist Speech

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The Racist Tirade That Sent Her to Prison

A white South African woman, Vicki Momberg, lashed out at black police officers with the country’s most charged racial epithet. Her tirade was recorded on video.

By THE NEW YORK TIMES on Publish Date October 27, 2016.

Photo by Joao Silva/The New York Times.

Watch in Times Video »

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LONDON — If Vicki Momberg had only unleashed a high-volume tirade at the South African police officers, video of it would have been of mere passing interest. But her repeated use of a racial slur — unfamiliar to most Americans, but explosive in South Africa — made her notorious, and led to demands to make her an example.
On Wednesday, Ms. Momberg, a white woman, became the first person in South Africa to be sent to prison for using racist language against someone, according to prosecutors and legal experts. Specifically, she hurled the term “kaffir,” considered the most offensive ..

India Spurns the Dalai Lama’s Celebration, Worried About China

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India Spurns the Dalai Lama’s Celebration, Worried About China Photo The Dalai Lama at a Tibetan Buddhist temple in McLeod Ganj, India, in August. India has sheltered the Dalai Lama and his followers since a Chinese crackdown on Tibetans 60 years ago. Credit Harish Tyagi/EPA, via Shutterstock McLEOD GANJ, India — An original song of thanks to India had been rehearsed, and a stadium in New Delhi had been reserved for a celebratory rally — all a gesture of gratitude from the Dalai Lama and his followers for India’s role in sheltering them after a Chinese crackdown on rebellious Tibetans 60 years ago.
Instead, the planned “Thank You India” celebrations, set for this coming weekend, set off apprehension in New Delhi and embarrassment among Tibetans.
A directive from India’s foreign secretary urged officials to discard their invitations, and it was blunt in saying the timing of the events coincided with a “sensitive time” for New Delhi’s relations with Beijing. A series of high-level meetin..